Electric Fencing for Garden Pest Control

Use electric fences for garden pest control. On our Pennsylvania farm, we use 22-inch-high GardenNet from Premier Fence Company to keep deer, groundhogs, raccoons and rabbits out of our organic market garden.

PHOTO: PREMIER FENCING

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Learn how you can protect your crops, use electric fencing for garden pest control.

Electric Fencing for Garden Pest Control

The fence is made of horizontal wires set 2 inches apart
near the ground and vertical wires every 12 inches. To
repel deer, it is set up directly under two strands of
electrified tape strung on 4-foot fiberglass rods "That
can't be deer fence!" visitors often exclaim when they see
the two strands of hot tape. "A deer can jump right over
that!"

Sure it can; the idea is to teach deer that the pain is not
worth the gain. That's why electric fences are often
"baited" with peanut butter or apple juice concentrate,
which is guaranteed to draw a deer's sensitive nose to the
wire. Just fold a few flinch squares of aluminum foil that
have been smeared with peanut butter over the fence wire,
or use commercially made metal pans with cotton pads and
twist ties. Just the white-and-black coloring of many
electric fence ropes or tapes put deer on guard; wind that
makes the fencing bounce, hum and even buzz loudly spooks
deer even more.

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